Safety trip device for valves on mobile tanks



Oct. 22, 1968 c. w. BEAZER ET 3,406,700

SAFETY TRIAD DEVICE FOR VALVES ON MOBILE TANKS Filed June 6, 1966 FIG.

//VVENTOR$ C.W. BEAZER C.I.TAVERNER "5 A 7' TORNEVS United States Patent3,406,700 SAFETY TRIP DEVICE FOR VALVES ON MOBILE TANKS Charles W.Beazer and Clarence I. Taverner, Bartlesville,

0kla., assignors to Phillips Petroleum Company, a corporation ofDelaware Filed June 6, 1966, Ser. No. 555,379 6 Claims. (Cl. 137-39)This invention relates to a means for shutting off the valve of mobiletanks such as vehicle-mounted storage tanks. In one aspect it relates toa safety trip device for automatically closing the valve of avehicle-mounted tank in case of emergency, such as movement of the tankor in case of fire. In another aspect it relates to a safety trip devicefor manually closing the valve of -a vehicle-mounted tank from a locusremote from the valve.

In the handling of volatile fluids, such as liquefied petroleum gas andliquid ammonia, many safety requirements must be met. For example, suchmaterials must be stored in specifically constructed tanks which arecapable of withstanding relatively high vapor pressures. Whenintroducing such material into a vehicle-mounted storage tank orremoving material from such tank, it is necessary that the valvestructure employed in such systems be provided with certain safetyfeatures.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a means forpositive closure of such valve in case of appreciable movement by thevehicle-mounted tank, in addition to features for closing the valve incase of fire and for manually closing the valve at a position remotefrom the valve.

It is an object of this invention to provide a safety trip device forautomatically closing the valve of a vehiclemounted storage tank in caseof emergency. A further object of the invention is to provide a meansfor closing the valve of a vehicle-mounted tank upon appreciablemovement by the tank. Still another object of the invention is thecombination of a trip device wherein the valve of a vehicle-mounted tankis closed automatically in case of fire or in case of movement of thetank and also a means for manually closing the valve at a positionremote from the valve. Other objects and advantages of this inventionwill be apparent upon reading the following detailed description of theinvention and the appended drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the trip device ofthe invention;

FIGURE 2 is a detail view, partly in section, of the latch and valve armof the trip device;

FIGURE 3 illustrates, in diagrammatic form, an elevational view, partlyin section, of a valve suitable for use with the trip device; and

FIGURE 4 illustrates the trip device being utilized on a railroad tankcar.

Referring now to the drawing and FIGURE 1 in partic ular, valve outletpassageway is secured to a vehiclemounted storage tank (such as inFIGURE 4) by means of flange connections 11 and 12. Passageway 10 isclosed by threaded cap or cover 13. Crank 14 is secured to shaft 15having secured thereon a lever or cam 16, see FIG- URE 3, which raisesvalve stem 17 of valve 20 to unseat valve seat 18 against thecompression of spring 19.

Mounting bracket 21 is secured to flange 11. Latch 22 is secured toextension arms 23 and 24 by fusible rivets 25. Extension arms 23 and 24and latch 22 are pivot-ally mounted on mounting bracket 21 by pivot pin26. The latch 22 is held firmly against handle 27 by means of spring 29and is prevented from sidewise movement by ring 28 on handle 27 of crank14.

Cable or chain or other flexible linkage 31 secures cover 13 to armextension 23 and is of sufiicient length to al- 'ice low cover 13 torest upon the ground when cover 13 is removed from passageway 10. Thelength of cable or chain 31 can be adjusted by means of hook 32, orequivalent means, so that the cable or chain 31 is substantially taut.Thus any appreciable movement of the tank, see FIGURE 4, will trip thelatch 22, releasing crank 14 so as to close the valve 20. Swivel 33prevents twisting cable 31.

The valve 20 can be any valve suitable for use with a fluid storagetank. The spring biased poppet type valve illustrated in the drawing isrepresentative of valves commercially available for this purpose.

Valve 20 can also be closed manually by means of cable 34 attached toextension arm 24. Often a vehiclemounted tank such as a tank truck orrailroad tank car will have more than one valve for removing fluid fromthe tank or for filling the tank. In such case the cable 34 can beattached to the trip device on each valve so that all of the valves canbe closed simultaneously from a locus remote from the valves.

In the operation of the safety device of the invention, for example theunloading of a tank car of gasoline, the cover 10 is removed and laid onthe ground, substantially vertically below the end of the extension arm23. A discharge conduit is threaded onto the passageway 10. When theconduit is secured to the receiving vessel and the unloading operationis ready to be started, the handle 27 is moved to open the valve 20. Thelatch 22 has a beveled end so that the latch rides up and over thehandle 27 against the bias of spring 29 as the handle 27 is moved tovalve-open position.

The chain or cable 31 is then adjusted so that it is taut, or nearly so.When the tank car is emptied or filled, as the case may be, the valve,or valves, are closed manually.

If the tank car is moved during the loading or unloading operation thecover 13 remains stationary on the ground and by means of the flexiblelinkage 31 trips the latch 22, releasing crank 14 so as to close thevalve 20. In case of fire in the vicinity of the open valve 20 thefusible rivets 25 are melted, releasing crank 14 and closing valve 20.

The emergency valve-closing device is simple in construction andpositive in action.

That which is claimed is:

1. In a fluid dispensing apparatus comprising a vehiclemounted storagetank having a dispensing valve connecting the interior of the tank witha passageway leading from the tank, a biasing means urging the valveinto closed position, and means connected to a crank extending from thevalve to open the valve in opposition to the biasing means, thecombination therewith of:

(1) a latch supported by the tank at a pivot point and biased to bearagainst the crank and to restrain the crank when the valve is in openposition;

(2) an arm extension of said latch opposite the pivot point from thelatch;

(3) a removable cover, for the passageway leading from the tank, ofsufiicient mass to overcome the bias of the latch; and

(4) a flexible linkage secured at one end to said cover and at the otherend to said arm extension so that when the cover is removed from thepassageway and placed upon the ground the linkage is substantially tautwhereby movement of the tank moves the extension arm and trips the latchso as to release the crank and close the valve.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said latch ismade of a low-temperature, heat-fusible material so that the crank isreleased upon fusion of said material and the valve is closed by thebiasing means.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein a linkage is attached to said armextension so that the latch can be tripped manually to release the crankfrom a remote a swivel to prevent twisting of the linkage when the coverdistance. is threaded onto and off of the passageway.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flexible linkage connecting theremovable cover and the extension arm References Clted is a metal cable5 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flexible linkage 2,591,8894/1952 Sundstrom 137-38 connecting the removable cover and the extensionarm 2,965,116 12/ 1960 Boone et a1 13739 is a metal chain, 3,165,2361/1965 Beazer et a1 a 13739 XR 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein thepassageway is threaded; the removable cover is threaded to mate with wWILLIAM ODEA Examl'iel the threads of the passageway; and the linkagecontains GERARD, Assistant Examiner-

1. IN A FLUID DISPENSING APPARATUS COMPRISING A VEHICLEMOUNTED STORAGETANK HAVING A DISPENSING VALE CONNECTING THE INTERIOR OF THE TANK WITH APASSAGEWAY LEADING FROM THE TANK, A BIASING MEANS URGING THE VALVE INTOCLOSED POSITION, AND MEANS CONNECTED TO A CRANK EXTENDING FROM THE VALETO OPEN THE VALVE IN OPPOSITION TO THE BIASING MEANS, THE COMBINATIONTHEREWITH OF: (1) A LATCH SUPPORTED BY THE TANK AT A PIVOT POINT ANDBIASED TO BEAR AGAINST THE CRANK AND TO RESTRAIN THE CRANK WHEN THEVALVE IS IN OPEN POSITION; (2) AN ARM EXTENSION OF SAID LATCH OPPOSITETHE PIVOT POINT FROM THE LATCH; (3) A REMOVABLE COVER, FOR THEPASSAGEWAY LEADING FROM THE TANK, OF SUFFICIENT MASS TO OVERCOME THEBIAS OF THE LATCH; AND (4) A FLEXIBLE LINKAGE SECURED AT ONE END TO SAIDCOVER AND AT THE OTHER END TO SAID ARM EXTENSION SO THAT WHEN THE COVERIS REMOVED FROM THE PASSAGEWAY AND PLACED UPON THE GROUND THE LINKAGE ISSUBSTANTIALLY TAUT WHEREBY MOVEMENT OF THE TANK MOVES THE EXTENSION ARMAND TRIPS THE LATCH SO AS TO RELEASE THE CRANK AND CLOSE THE VALVE.